In the Future: A slow walk through a quiet room

Is In the Future worth your time today? If you want explosions, or even a plot that follows a straight line, absolutely not. Walk away. But if you’re the kind of person who likes watching actors just... exist in a space, then maybe stay for a bit. It’s a quiet movie. Sometimes it’s too quiet.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of In the Future (1932) through its definitive frames.

The whole thing feels like it was filmed in a house that smells like old tea and dust. Ada Reeve is the anchor here, and she spends an awful lot of time looking out of windows. I kept waiting for her to do something big, a monologue maybe, but she just keeps staring at the street. It’s strange. It works, but it’s strange.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of In the Future (1932) through its definitive frames.

Oddly specific details

• There is a coffee mug on the table in the second act that never moves. Not once.
• The sound design in the hallway scenes is a bit shaky—you can hear the footsteps echo like they’re in a gym, not a living room.
• Leonard Stevens wears a sweater that looks like it’s about thirty years old. I kind of loved it.

There’s a moment where John Dobbie tries to explain his day, and he just stops. He starts a sentence, hits a wall, and shrugs. It’s the most human thing I’ve seen in a movie all month. Most directors would have had him burst into tears or scream. Not here. He just shrugs. 🤷‍♂️

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of In the Future (1932) through its definitive frames.

It’s not as polished as The Heart Beneath, which had that glossy sheen I usually don't trust. This feels much messier. The camera zooms are a bit jerky, like the operator was having a bad day or just got bored. I didn't mind it.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of In the Future (1932) through its definitive frames.

I found myself thinking about Den sidste dans while watching this, mainly because both films seem terrified of being too loud. Sometimes the silence in In the Future feels heavy. It feels like the air is being sucked out of the room. That’s probably the point, but I still checked my phone twice. My bad.

Cinematic perspective: Exploring the visual vocabulary of In the Future (1932) through its definitive frames.

Thelma Scott shows up later and suddenly the energy shifts. She’s only in two scenes, but she makes everyone else look like they’re sleepwalking. It’s a shame the script didn’t give her more to do. She’s just standing there, looking like she knows a secret that the rest of the cast is too tired to figure out.

By the time the credits rolled, I wasn’t sure if I felt satisfied or just confused. It’s one of those movies that sticks to your ribs. Like a heavy meal you didn't really ask for but ended up finishing anyway.

If you’re looking for a blockbuster, look elsewhere. If you want to sit in a dark room and watch people be complicated and tired, give it a go. Just don’t expect any big answers.